Parrots are birds belonging to the order Psittaciformes, which includes 398 species in 92 genera that are primarily found in tropical and subtropical climates. Psittacoidea (“real” parrots), Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and Strigopoidea (strigopoidea) are the three superfamilies that make up the order (New Zealand parrots). One-third of all parrot species are endangered, and parrots have the highest overall extinction risk (IUCN Red List Index) of any bird group. Parrots are found across the world, with some species residing in temperate zones of the Southern Hemisphere. South America and Australasia have the most diverse parrot populations.

A powerful, curved beak, an erect stance, robust legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet are all characteristics of parrots. Many parrots have bright colors, and others have several colors. In the visual spectrum, most parrots show little or no sexual dimorphism. In terms of length, they are the most diverse bird order.

Seeds, nuts, berries, buds, and other plant material are the most significant components of most parrots’ diets. A few species consume animals and carrion sometimes, but lories and lorikeets specialize upon flower nectar and soft fruits. Almost all parrots lay white eggs in tree hollows (or nest boxes in captivity) from which altricial (helpless) chicks hatch.

Parrots, like ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, are among the most intellectual birds, and their ability to mimic human speech adds to their attractiveness as pets. Hunting, habitat degradation, and competition from alien species have all contributed to the decline of wild parrot populations, with parrots being exposed to greater exploitation than any other group of birds. Many of the less iconic species residing in the same ecosystems have been preserved as a result of measures made to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species.

The variety of psittaciforms in South America and Australasia implies that the order developed in Gondwana, which was centered in Australasia. The lack of parrots in the fossil record, on the other hand, makes it impossible to corroborate the idea. In the early Cenozoic, there are now more fossil remains from the northern hemisphere. Molecular evidence suggests that parrots originated in Gondwana around 59 million years ago (Mya) (range 66–51 Mya). Neotropical parrots split into three main clades at 50 Mya (range 57–41 Mya).

A single 15 mm (0.6 in) piece from a big lower bill (UCMP 143274) discovered in the Lance Creek Formation in Niobrara County, Wyoming, was previously considered to be the earliest parrot fossil. It is thought to date from the Late Cretaceous era, around 70 million years ago. Other studies, on the other hand, suggest that this fossil is from a caenagnathid oviraptorosaur (a non-avian dinosaur with a birdlike beak), because several details of the fossil used to support its identity as a parrot are not exclusive to parrots, and it differs from the earliest-known unequivocal parrot fossils.

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